How many Ferraris does it take to impress a hotel valet in Boca ? More than 25 , apparently .

The guy driving us around the opulent Boca Raton Resort and Club in his hotel-issued golf cart was non-plussed by the abundant wealth on display in the driveways and parking lots around the property .

How many Ferraris were here ? `` Twenty to twenty-five , '' he said , shrugging . How many BMWs ? `` Too many to count . ''

This is Palm Beach County , of course , where money ai n't a thing .

But there was even more money here this week : The resort was playing host to the the Republican Governors Association 's annual meeting , always a magnet for major GOP donors , corporate fixers and political consultants looking to get some some face time , and maybe a contract or two , with the 31 Republican governors and governors-elect who now control state houses around the country .

`` It 's a target-rich environment , '' said Texas Gov. Rick Perry . `` Governors are able to talk to businesses from around the country that are looking to re-locate and looking to expand ... I 've gotten a few scalps here . ''

Perry joined a half dozen other potential 2016 presidential candidates , including Chris Christie , Rick Perry , Scott Walker , Bobby Jindal , John Kasich and Mike Pence . They were all more than happy to soak up attention from admirers and make nice with potential contributors .

`` If you are an individual who is running for office , this is a good place to be to meet people who have a lot really good ideas about how to to do public policy , and meet men and women who want to see good government put into place , '' Perry said . `` And it 's up to the point of , ` Well , I 'm gon na loan you not only my name , but lend you some money as well . I 'm gon na contribute to your campaign . ' And that 's all good . That 's how this process works . ''

All of this means that money is in the air at events like the one in Boca , which are as much about donor maintenance and business meetings as they are about electing governors .

When their donors are involved , the RGA likes to roll out the red carpet , holding their conferences at high-end resorts like this one : Past RGA meetings were held in Scottsdale , Aspen and Austin . Ferraris abound .

Republican governors and their entourages were everywhere at the resort -- in hallways , quiet corners , busy coffee shops and fancy dinners -- making time for admirers and at least feigning interest in pitch-men from companies like G.E. and Altria who stalked the corridors . Aides stood at the ready to take their business cards .

Meetings were taken , drinks were drunk , and golf was played .

At the hotel bar on Thursday , one foursome of Republican golfers proudly showed off a picture on their iPhones : They had been golfing nearby at The Bears Club , founded by Jack Nicklaus , and a cigar-chomping Michael Jordan played through . They snapped a pic of him putting .

The event attracted the usual pack of political press -- including the `` Hambycast '' crew -- eager to flee the freezing temperatures of Washington and meet sources , interview new governors and get an early bead on the Republican presidential race , which does n't seem like it will start as soon as reporters would like it to .

They also had to suffer through a barrage of cliches about governors knowing how to lead . Did you know that states are the laboratories of democracy ? You do now .

Christie , the outgoing RGA chairman , passed the committee leadership baton to Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam on Thursday , but not before basking in the glow of a successful election cycle . Swarmed by reporters every time he showed his face , Christie swatted away questions about his presidential thinking and insisted that he just wanted to reflect on a winning cycle and celebrate with his fellow Republicans .

`` Christie did a fantastic job , '' said Larry Hogan , the newly-elected Republican governor of blue Maryland and maybe the biggest surprise winner of 2014 . `` The candidates and the donors and everybody here are thrilled . You could n't do a better job , winning multiple blue states like Massachusetts and Illinois and Maryland . It 's a pretty big win for Chris Christie and the RGA . ''

Hogan was like the star rookie at an NFL training camp , the subject of gentle ribbing from his more seasoned colleagues but also the buzziest newcomer in Boca .

`` People said to me during the campaign that I seem like Christie with a softer edge , '' he said . `` We are both pretty blunt . They liked the fact that our personalities are similar . ''

Few people thought Hogan could win when he announced his campaign -- including Christie . `` We were on the No-Way-In-Hell list for the RGA , '' he said .

After Christie became convinced that Hogan could pull off a sleeper upset , he asked his fellow RGA leaders to make an investment in Maryland , even going into debt to do so . Other Republican governors were skeptical . `` They were like , Christie have you been drinking ? , '' Hogan chuckled .

Now the governor-elect , Hogan indulged every major donor who wanted a handshake -- and every every reporter who wanted an interview .

Perhaps he was too unguarded . He let slip a fact that no Marylander should ever reveal : He 's never watched `` The Wire . '' Not one season .

`` Maybe I 'll watch them all when I retire , '' he said .

And maybe he 'll retire in Boca .

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Republican governors met in Boca Raton this week

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Several potential 2016 presidential candidates attended